Strain: Whole Foods Market Ginger Bread House recall affects Louisiana
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

11:26 a.m. CST, December 29, 2010
BATON ROUGE—
On Wednesday, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., announced the Whole Foods Market recall of its ginger bread houses product extends to Louisiana.

The ginger bread houses were supplied to Whole Foods Market by Rolf’s Patisserie of Lincolnwood, Illinois.

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The recalled ginger bread houses may have been assembled, decorated and packaged in clear plastic wrap and sold with a Whole Foods Market scale label. Some scale labels may also list “Rolf’s Patisserie” as part of the description. The recall includes all ginger bread houses made after Nov. 1, 2010.

Strain said the recall was issued by Whole Foods Market Dec. 24 and includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

Products produced by Rolf’s Patisserie have been connected to several outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) food poisoning. All products that were made after Nov. 1, 2010 were recalled. To date no illnesses have been reported from consumers eating ginger bread houses sold by Whole Foods Market.

A food item contaminated with S. aureus, the bacteria responsible for producing enterotoxins in foods, can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The illness usually lasts for one to two days, although severe cases may last as long as three days. However, certain individuals, such as the elderly or very young, may require medical treatment for dehydration. Consumers should not eat the ginger bread houses and should dispose of them in a sealed container so that people and animals (including wild animals) cannot get access to and eat them.

Signage is posted in Whole Foods Market stores to notify customers of this recall.

Customers who have purchased any of the listed products from Whole Foods Market may return them to the store for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Whole Foods Market at 512-542-0878 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. central standard time.